Mornhinweg says Vick needs to move more

Posted by Mike Florio on September 27, 2012, 3:34 PM EDT

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With the Eagles at 2-1 but feeling like a team that can’t get out of its way, offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg said Thursday that he hopes quarterback Mike Vick will do more to stay out of the way of defensive players.

“Maybe he needs to move,” Mornhinweg told the media. “About half of the time the quarterback needs to move. It might be subtle or a slide. It might be up and out, in a full scramble, front door or back door — all these type of movements.”

Vick seemed to reach a new level two years ago because he was moving less. Patient in the pocket, Vick waited for opportunities to develop. This year, it seems like he’s simply waiting to get blasted by a blitzing linebacker.

The hits Vick has taken, coupled with his alarming turnover rate, has prompted calls for the team to spend more time running the ball, especially with LeSean McCoy on the roster. Mornhinweg doesn’t sound sold on that approach.

“We go after people now,” Mornhinweg said regarding the possibility of making the running game a priority. “Look, I tell the players that we’re going to be aggressive. Again, you can be aggressive in the running game or the pass, but we’re going to be aggressive. I want them to be aggressive and want them to play without the fear of making a mistake. If you make a mistake, you find the solution and then you correct it fast. Once you get that thing motoring pretty good, and I think we are closer than it appears, then you’re in pretty good shape both run and pass.

“Normally, many of your runs come in the second half, whether you are close, you are even, or you are up, and with us most of the time. Not all of the time, but most of time. Philosophically, I don’t care as much about balance in any particular game. If we have to run the ball 50 times to win the game, that’s what we’ll do. If we need to pass the ball 50 times in any particular game, that’s what we’ll do. Now, you take the whole season and you’d rather be somewhere around 60-40ish, usually a little higher than 60ish maybe 60-65 percent pass.”

It sounds good in theory, but every pass play lately has had Eagles fans holding their breath for the next hit on Mike Vick. Sooner or later, he’ll absorb a hit that keeps him from continuing.

Offensively, Reid is stubborn in his play-calling. No QB can survive against good defenses throwing the ball with the predictability and frequency that the Eagles do. Defenses are pinning their ears back and coming after the QB and playing the run on the way. LeSean McCoy is without question a top 5 running back in the NFL, it is unconscionable that he could go an entire half and only touch the football 5 time. Michael Vick needs to make better decisions with the football, but Reid’s play-calling is a direct reflection on how Vick is playing. The odds are that if you pass as much as they do, interceptions, sacks and fumbles are bound to happen, more balance lessens the odds. Lastly, when you lose two of your best offensive linemen, commons sense would tell you that position is now weaker. Why protection adjustments aren’t made is beyond my comprehension. The Cardinals ran the same blitz the entire 2nd half and the Eagles never adjusted, no max protection, no sight adjustments and no shortening of their routes to allow Vick to get the ball out of his hands quicker. If the Eagles ran the ball with consistency it would help a young inexperienced O-Line, keep defenses honest and protect a fragile QB that quite frankly this team can ill afford to be without.

marty hasn’t got a clue, sadly. if he did, he would have attempted more than 5 rushes in the first half. he would have taken the ball out of vick’s hands and placed it in the best player on the team’s hands; Shady.

Then, when he was down 24 points, marty got religion and ran a 12 play drive beginning at 11:37 of the third and ending in a field goal at 5:11, thus remaining 18 points or three scores behind while using over 6 minutes of the remaining 26.

They’re philosophy is all wrong!!! You have to establish the run early and that opens up the passing game later!!! OMG I think I’m having a stroke! This coaching staff is completely inept!!! Somebody call the paramedics for me!!! I can feel my brain about to explode!! I CANT TAKE THE IDIOCY ANYMORE!!!!

They’re philosophy is all wrong!!! You have to establish the run early and that opens up the passing game later!!! OMG I think I’m having a stroke! This coaching staff is completely inept!!! Somebody call the paramedics for me!!! I can feel my brain about to explode!! I CANT TAKE THE IDIOCY ANYMORE!!!
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Bill Walsh introduced the idea of passing to set up the run with his West Coast offense.

I’m sure he’ll be shocked to learn that he and his pile of rings are idiots.

Everyone is blitzing Vick to death, and all he seems to do is hopelessly hold onto the ball. When the opposing team commits extra men to a blitz, that creates some very soft zones to exploit in the passing game…often right over the middle. Andy and Marty need to implement more quick passes and SCREEN PLAYS to help get the ball out of Vick’s hands as quick as possible. DeSean and Maclin can take a 5 yard route all the way to pay dirt, and McCoy is one of the best receiving backs in the game. The birds used to be the most prolific screen-happy offense in the NFL, and they would benefit greatly by getting back to that.

How many times do I have to say it!!! It has absolutely nothing to do with how were playing! All of our problems, the bad play included, are a result of absolutely horrific play calling! At the end of the first half of the Ari game, the Eagles had called 27 passing plays and 3 rushing plays. You have to be a complete idiot not to see THAT is the cause of all the problems. Its aggravating that I actually have to explain this.

1. A balanced offense keeps the defense off-balance and guessing! They cant key on any one aspect of your game and just tee-off on it.
2. You have to establish the run early. It draws the defense to the line, makes the play-action work, and opens up the down field areas for the passing game.
3. You can’t get balanced at the end of the game, by then its too late.
4. Run blocking is easier for offensive linemen than pass blocking and when you have a makeshift OLine, as we do, you have to make it easy on them. Therefore, YOU HAVE TO RUN THE BALL!!! The coaches keep saying, we have to put them in a position to succeed, well this is how you do it!!
5. You’ve got LeSean McCoy!!! Effing use him!!!!
6. I don’t care if you Joe Montana, Dan Marino, Steve Young, Johnny Unitas, Bart Starr, Tom Brady, Sonny Jurgenson, Fran Tarkenton, Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, or any other QB that comes to mind when you think “great QB” on a team with this play-calling ratio, THEY WILL FAIL!!! They will throw picks, they will get sacked, and they will fumble. It is absolutely the worst offensive strategy I have EVER seen and the worst part is, its nothing new to Philly fans!! We’ve been dealing with this for the last 14 years!!
7. The Eagles best game was against Baltimore and oh my god they called more runs than passes!!! Coincidence?? Not a chance!!!

This is Pop Warner crap! I can’t believe the Eagles coaching staff doesn’t get that, the writers here dont get that and haven’t called them out on it(I’ve been waiting for this story from you Florio), and the majority of the commenters here dont understand it either!! Must be alot of people here who never actually PLAYED football. All these stories and comments blaming Vick are wrong and I just told you why.